Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader has criticised wasteful clean air signs after Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham was forced to backtrack on his plans for a £60 per week Clean Air Zone.
Shaw Councillor and Leader of Oldham Liberal Democrats, Howard Sykes MBE said, “Everybody can see the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) for what it is, a complete and utter shambles. In recent weeks, we’ve had the spectacle of Mr Burnham going cap-in-hand to the Government asking to be allowed to scrap the charges from his Clean Air Zone. This U turn is welcome but why did he not do this in the first place? This is just months after he announced plans to implement Europe’s largest clean air charging zone. And just weeks after he had to scurry around Greater Manchester correcting all the CAZ signs because his plan had unravelled.”
Thousands of road signs across Greater Manchester announcing the new Clean Air Zone coming into effect had to be corrected in late March with stickers reading ‘Under Review’. Councillor Sykes called the signs “a shameful waste of public money at a time when money is tight,” as he issued Mayor Burnham with a challenge.
Councillor Sykes said, “Instead of trying to distance himself from his own policy, the Greater Manchester Mayor should be honest with Greater Manchester taxpayers about just how wasteful his Clean Air Zone is becoming. Just how much public money have you wasted on Clean Air Zone signs across Greater Manchester?”
Oldham & Saddleworth’s Liberal Democrat councillors have said local Conservatives have got questions to answer after six of their nine councillors failed to attend the first council meetings to be held after the local elections.
Mark Kenyon, Liberal Democrat councillor for Grotton, Springhead & Lees, said: “I’m sure decent Conservative voters in this town will join the rest of us in wondering when Conservative councillors will actually turn up to do the job they’d promised voters they’d do – there’s important questions to ask about Clean Air Zone (CAZ), Labour waste & the investment our town and districts sorely need”.
Conservative deputy leader Beth Sharp, joins councillors Luke Lancaster, Dave Arnott and their newly elected colleagues Chris McManus, Robert Barnes & Lewis Quigg in skipping these first meetings held on Wednesday 25th May 2022.
Mark Kenyon concludes: ”People want change in this town – sadly we won’t get that if voters are selecting councillors like this. Yesterday evening the Conservative councillors either failed to turn up, or even worse, sided with Labour to give the Opposition less time to ask questions about issues like CAZ.”
My first question to the Leader tonight is on an issue that many people need much re-assurance on. That is that the report into CSE will be delayed yet again!
This is after previous delays in January this year and November 2021.
I agree that it is extremely important to ensure that anyone who is bringing forward evidence must be given the opportunity, and I am glad that the people in question now feel confident to bring forward their evidence.
However, it is vital that for public support in this process to be maintained, there must be a transparent process for the continued investigation taking place.
Even more important there must be clear support for the people who have already given their evidence and who have expected this report to be issued three times already.
Could the Leader of the Council please confirm?
What additional support is being given to those members of the public who have courageously stepped forward to give evidence, while this process is delayed again?
Whether the oversight board for the investigation has agreed with the extension of the investigation in this way? If so, why have they not issued a statement to help re-assure the public.
Also are there any strands of the investigation which are unaffected by the additional interviews, and whether the report could be released in stages, or as an interim report which would allow some of the survivors affected a degree of closure on this stage of their traumatic experiences?
In addition to the promised public meeting is now not the time that a special Council meeting also considers the report and that a special dedicated scrutiny panel/committee makes sure it is examined in detail and lessons and recommendations are actioned.
This special scrutiny committee/panel should report regularly to Full Council on progress and on any other matters it sees fit.
Question 2 – Clean air Zone
Madam Mayor,
My second question tonight is on what can only be called the shambles that is the Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone.
Thank goodness the scheme has been delayed until at least July.
I do hope the Tory Government, Mayor Burnham and the 10 Leaders in GM have not just kicked the can down the road until after the local elections.
Who decided that we needed a scheme that covered the whole of GM?
A scheme would have a major impact on jobs and businesses?
A scheme that treated air quality on Saddleworth Moor the same as in city centre Salford or Manchester?
A scheme that excludes the motorway and trunk road network.
What planet where they on?
Did people not learn anything from the failed congestion charge?
Mayor Burnham must keep his manifesto promise to clean up air pollution in Greater Manchester without “the loss of a single job or business”.
This is something this Labour administration and others in GM failed to do first time round.
Even if people wanted to comply, they cannot as the supply chain just does not exist to deliver the conversions or new complainant vehicles in time and that assumes people can afford them! That situation will not have changed in July.
So, my question tonight is what assurance can the citizens of Oldham have that their interests will be championed and fought for by those who make the decisions about Clean Air Zone 2, if indeed we need one?
This includes the boundary of the Zone and the vehicles it will or will now not include? Also, that a realistic the financial support package is available for those impacted.
Or will ‘CAZ 2 the sequel’ just get pushed through quietly in the summer and you hope nobody notices.
